GCA Supports Climate Resilience in Morocco’s Forests
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otterdam, the Netherlands, 22 July 2024 – The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), through the African Adaptation Accelerated Program (AAAP) has launched initiatives to support Inclusive and Sustainable Development Support Programme for Forest Areas (PADIDZOF) in Morocco, an investment project aimed at enhancing climate adaptation and resilience across Morocco’s forest ecosystems.
The five-year program, running from 2024 to 2029, will invest $124.6 million to strengthen Morocco’s forests against climate risks, directly benefiting 480,000 individuals, including approximately 94,000 households. It aims to create over 5,000 jobs—at least 30% of which will be for women—alongside capacity-building for government officials and local stakeholders.
Morocco’s forests, comprising 13% of the national territory, are vital for biodiversity, employment, and rural livelihoods, contributing around 2% of GDP annually. However, they face increasing threats from drought, erosion, and severe wildfires, exacerbated by climate change. The initiative aims to rehabilitate and restore 4,200 hectares of degraded forest and restore and develop four national parks, alongside the reintroduction of eight endangered wildlife species. These actions are critical to enhancing biodiversity, protecting ecosystems, and strengthening climate resilience in Morocco.
GCA’s technical support to the project includes diagnostic assessments of climate risk management supporting the implementation of adaptation solutions and early warning systems, curriculum development for capacity-building in climate-smart agriculture for stakeholders and promoting entrepreneurship, especially among young people and women through the identification of training needs in adaptation and climate smart agricultural practices. The project will strengthen climate resilience through targeted interventions at institutional, local, and community levels.
This project aligns with Morocco’s broader strategy to foster a resilient economy by addressing climate challenges like drought, water erosion, and wildfires, ultimately enhancing rural living standards and supporting the emergence of a robust rural middle class.
Notes to Editors
About the Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that promotes adaptation to the impacts of climate change. It works to climate-proof development by instigating policy reforms and influencing investments made by international financial institutions and the private sector. The goal is to bring climate adaptation to the forefront of the global fight against climate change and ensure that it remains prominent.
Founded in 2018, GCA embodies innovation in its approach to climate adaptation as well as in its physical presence. It operates from the largest floating office in the world, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. GCA has a worldwide network of regional offices in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Beijing, China. The Center will open a new office in Nairobi, Kenya in 2025.
